Track-rail for electric street-railways



(N Mod 1.)

0 8 J T HILL & B MEIRING TRACK RAIL FUR ELECTRIC STREET RAILWAYS.

No. 460,967. Patented Oct. 13, 1891.

In 1/6 11 (was. A I u M ?uc' 3 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN T. HILL AND BERNARD MEIRING, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO.

TRACK-RAIL FOR ELECTRIC STREET-RAILWAYS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 460,967, dated October 13, 1891.

Application filed December 29, 1890. Serial No. 376,038. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, JOHN T. l-IILL and BERNARD MEIRINGpf Cleveland, in the county of Cuyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Track-Rails for Electric Street-Railways; and we do herebydeclare the following to be a full, clear, and exact. description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use the same.

Ourinvention relates to improvements in track-rails for electric street-railways; andit consists in certain features of construction and in combination of parts, hereinafter described, and pointed out in the claims.

The figure in the accompanying drawing is an end elevation.

A represents the base of the rail; B, the web, and O the head of the rail, to which latter is attached a removable tread D, adapted to rest flatwise on the upper face of the railhead. As shown, the web B is quite deep, so that the base of the rail may be out of the way in paving, and hence the web may be quite thin and stillhave the requisite strength and stiifness. The head 0 has a longitudinal flange 0, the inner face thereof being undercut, as shown at c. The tread D has a beveled edge (I, adapted. to fit such undercut flange. The tread has a longitudinal groove I) extending along the under surface from end to end thereof, in which groove or recess, for instance, an electric wire or small cable may be laid. The tread has a rib D that serves as a guard-rail, and has a ledge (1 next outside the guard that is engaged by the hook end e of the securing-bolts E. These bolts are distributed at suitable intervals and en tend through lateral holes in web 13, and are secured, preferably, by keys, as shown at E. A bolt E is supposed to engage the under side of the rail-head at c, and the draft of the bolt forces the tread against the undercut flange, and also holds the adjacent side of the tread firmly down onto the rail-head. Hence by means of these bolts the tread is firmly clamped upon the head of the rail. By removing or backing the keys the bolts may be removed or loosened, so that the treads may be quickly and easily removed for substituting new treads or for giving access to the electric wires that may be within the groove D, and all this may be done without interfering withthe pavement.

The body of the rail is supposed to be good for all times, and by occasionally renewing the treads the track may be kept in good order at least during the lifetime of the pavement. The tread should be of dense steel, while the body of the rail can be of cheaper material.

hat we claim is 1. A track-rail having a base, head, and connecting-web,the head having an inwardly-projecting flange on one edge, in combination with a removable tread provided with an up wardly-turned ledge, bolts adapted to engage the ledge and head of the rail at points approximately opposite each other, and means for holding the bolts in place, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination, with a track-rail having a base, web, and head, thelatter provided with an inwardly-projecting flange on one edge, of a removable tread having one beveled edge adapted to engage under the inwardlyprojecting flange and provided on its opposite edge with an upwardly-projecting ledge, bolts having hooks on'one end adapted to engage the ledge, the opposite ends of the bolts having slots therein, and keys passed through the slots to lock the bolts in position, substantially as set forth.

In combination, a track-rail having a base, head, and intermediate web, of aremovable tread adapted to rest 011 the rail-head, the rail-head having an undercut flange, and thetread having a corresponding beveled edge for engaging the flange, the tread having a ledge for engaging the securing-bolts, and having, also, a longitudinal groove or recess extending along the under face from end to end thereof, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof we sign this specification, in the presence of two witnesses, this 15th day of December, 1890.

JOHN T. HILL. BERNARD MEIRING.

lVitnesses:

O. H. DORER, WARD HOOVER. 

